Refrigerator shelf



June 2, 1942. R. s. AHRENS REFRIGERATOR SHELF Filed Feb. 10, 1939 Patented June 2, 1942 U N i 'i" I.

REFRIGERATOR SHELF Application February 10, 1939, Serial No. 255,673

2 Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in refrigerator shelves wherein it is desired to provide a removable shelf structure which is readily adaptable to quick adjustment and change.

Most refrigerators constructed at the present time are provided with removable or slidable shelves so that the shelves may be entirely removed when it is desired for cleaning or the like. While some eifort has been made to construct shelf supporting means which permits the height of the shelf to be adjusted, most of these means add considerable cost to the refrigerator, and are therefore not Widely used. It is often desired in a refrigerator to place more tall packages in the refrigerator than the same is normally designed to admit. These can be placed in most of the common types of refrigerators by removing an entire shelf. Ordinarily, however, the removal of an entire shelf provides too much area for the taller packages such as bottles or the like, and not enough area for the other goods to be placed in the refrigerator.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a shelf construction wherein one of the shelves of the refrigerator is formed in sections, so that certain of the sections may be moved or pivoted out of place in order to accommodate taller packages without the necessity of removing the entire shelf. For example, the center section of the lower shelf may be formed to sup- .port a drawer or slidable tray beneath the same,

while the two side sections of the she-1f may be formed of fiat pivotally mounted members which may be pivoted into horizontal position to form a, continuous shelf, or which may be pivoted into a vertical position to accommodate bottles and tall packages in this portion of the refrigerator. These side sections may be quickly and easily removed in their entirety from the refrigerator if it is desired.

It is a further feature of my invention to provide a drawer compartment for vegetables or the like suspended beneath a section of the lower shelf in such a way that the drawer and the shelf section may be quickly removed from the refrigerator in its entirety if it is desired for cleaning purposes or to make room for the tall packages. The entire drawer supporting section of the lower shelf is merely removably secured to the rear refrigerator wall and is supported by legs at the front which merely rest upon the bottom of the refrigerator or fit into sockets formed on the floor or bottom of the refrigerator compartment.

It is an added feature of my invention that my construction in preferred form is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture or produce. Thus this arrangement maybe added to any refrigerator in the manufacture thereof at extremely low cost.

These and other objects and novel features of my invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawing forming a part of my specification:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator with my shelf arrangement provided therein.

Figure 2 is a front perspective view of the refrigerator illustrating the shelf arrangement.

Figure 3 is a perspective View of a section of the refrigerator and drawer supporting means illustrating one manner in which the front legs of the supporting shelf can be held in place.

Figure 4 is a bottom perspective view of the drawer supporting shelf.

The refrigerator A includes a foo-d compartment B which is refrigerated by the refrigerating unit C. The unit and cabinet may be of any particular type. The important part ofthe refrigerator to the applicant rests in a particular shelf construction such as is illustrated in the lower refrigerator shelf D. v

The shelf D comprises a drawer supporting shelf section It] for supporting the drawer II and preferably a pair of side sections [2 and I3. While it is not essential, it is preferable to form the central section Iil as a solid shelf to provide a closure for the top of the drawer H. The side shelves l2 and I 3 may be of various types, but in the preferred form illustrated are shown embodying a marginal wire frame It and a series of parallel supporting rods l5 welded on the frame M.

The shelves l2 and I3 are secured to the side walls l6 and H of the food compartment B by means of brackets l9 which pivotally engage the frame I l. The brackets H? are preferably substantially hook-shaped to engage the frame I4 and to hold the shelves l2 and I3 so that they may swing upwardly to overlie the food compartment walls Hi and I! as illustrated in dotted outline in Figure 1 of the drawing, or may lie down in a horizontal plane as illustrated in Figure 2 of the-drawing.

- The shelf supportin section in is formed of a frame 28 preferably constructed of a, single heavy wire or rod bent into substantially 'U- shape and having legs which are designed to extend down into contact with the floor of the refrigerator or with the next lower shelf. This frame 29 is accordingly bent to provide a pair of parallel side members 2| connected together with an end member 22 forming the end of the U. Legs 23 extend downwardly from the open end of the U-shaped frame and are protected by rubber tips 24 if it is desired.

The drawer supporting section it] is provided with a solid shelf 25 having downwardly extending flanged edges 26. As shown in Figure 4 of the drawing, the frame it is secured to the under surface of the sheet 25 to reinforce and support the same. A pair of opposed channels 2'! having the open sides thereof in opposed relation are secured to the bottom of the sheet 25 in such a manner that the front ends at least of these channels are open. These channels are designed to accommodate the transverse flanges 29 on opposite side edges of the drawer l I to permit the drawer to be slidably suspended from the sheet 25.

The closed end 22 of the U-shaped frame 28 is provided with a pair of oif-set portions 35 extending below the flange 26 at the rear end of the section l6 and forming loops to permit insertion of lugs 31% on the rear refrigerator wall. In inserting the section D in place, it is only necessar to insert the lugs 31 through the loops 30 and to properly position the legs 23 at the front of the refrigerator. Sockets such as 32 may be secured to the fioor of the refrigerator to accommodate the lower extremity of the legs 23, or any other suitable means may be employed to hold these legs in proper position,

On opposite sides of the center section If], I provide hook-shaped brackets 33 which are designed to accommodate the edge of the frame l4 opposite that engaged by the hinge brackets 19. These brackets 33 therefore hold the side sections 12 and [3 of the shelf D in substantial alignment with the center section ll] of the same to form a continuous shelf when it is desired.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my refrigerator shelf; and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiments thereof, I desire to have it understood that this is only illustrative of a means of carrying out my invention and that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

A refrigerator including a cabinet provided with opposed side walls and a rear wall, a substantiall U-shaped frame, the free ends of said U-shaped frame being bent downwardly to form legs on the front end thereof, means on the rear cabinet wall supporting the closed end of said U-shaped frame, an imperforate shelf on said frame, drawer means suspended beneath said shelf, and drawer suspending means on said shelf for said drawerv means.

2. A refrigerator comprising a refrigerator body having opposed side walls and a rear wall, a shelf section comprising an imperforate shelf, legs on the front end of said shelf to support the same, means on said rear wall supporting the rear end of said shelf, a separate shelf pivotally secured to each of said side walls of said refrigerator, and pivotal from upright position to a position in substantial alignment with said imperforate shelf, means on said shelf section engageable with said separate shelves in alinged position thereof to support said separate shelves along opposed side edges thereof, and a drawer slidably supported by said imperforate shelf beneath the same.

ROBERT S. AHRENS. 

